Bright Candles Burning
by LittleMissSeashell
Summary: Jade goes to the park at night, not expecting to meet the orange-eyed vampire that she does. When he decides to bring her back to his home, things get a bit more than complicated. Main ship is DirkJade with a side of JohnRox, DaveKat and RoseMary. More ships to appear later on in the story.
1. Chapter 1

Jade wandered down the lamp-lit path in the park, the night quiet yet full of life around her, it was her favorite place to think and her favorite type of day. She looked up at the stars as she strolled along, "Orion." she noted. Though she hadn't dared venture far from her suburban home at this hour before, it was well worth the sight. Everything looked amazing and beautiful to her as she stood at the center of the stone bridge, looking out at the lush green in the darkness and the moon that reflected in the dark water. Lights from the lampposts glowed warmly, attracting little moths that flew around. She watched the wondrous creatures as they tried to reach it, only to be bounced back by the barrier separating them and the light. She sighed, how innocent. The poor things didn't know they would die if they reached the hot bulb within, still hoping and trying hard.  
Her head whipped around as she heard a soft rustle of leaves, jet-black hair following in her wake. She looked around, but nothing was there. She assumed that she was being paranoid- _Just the wind_ , Jade thought, _or maybe a squirrel_. But then she heard the sound again, and this time, turned to see a figure not far from her. The stranger stepped into the light, revealing the attractive man in front of her. He had pale skin and eyes that were bright orange- like candles- looking straight into her bright-green ones. She shivered, it felt like he knew something, that he could see through her eyes and into her soul. "Um, hello," she greeted shyly. Normally she was outgoing, but her chest felt tight for some reason and she didn't know why, but she felt different.  
The man smiled, seeming amused but a bit sinister. "Hello, indeed. What would a beautiful young woman like yourself be doing out alone at night?" The man shook his head while clicking his tongue disapprovingly. "That just isn't cool. As your resident awesome gentlemanly dude, I'll escort you." He gave a smirk, still looking at her straight in the eyes. Had he even blinked this whole time? She didn't know. "I'm Dirk, and you?" He stood there, expecting a response.  
"I-I'm Jade. It really is alright, you know." She said, "I would hate to be a bother." She brushed her bangs out of her face, her feet nudged together. She remembered reading something on the internet, that if someone stared at you in the eyes for ten seconds straight they either wanted to kill you or were _attracted_ to you. She didn't feel like either would be good in this situation, but he was staring at her for a pretty long time now. He was wearing a long, black cape with the cowl drawn back that flowed like it was almost weightless, yet the lamppost gave it a slight sheen. His hair was a soft light-blond, kind of what she imagined an angel's hair to look like. This man intrigued her, but she didn't think he would be an angel at all.

Yet she felt herself pulled to his presence, and she couldn't tear herself away from his gaze. Her feet were locked in place as he spoke again. "It really is no problem," Dirk said, "I would be glad to hang out with you. Plus, there can be some… _undesirables_ around here at night." His lips smirked ever so slightly with mischief, but his gaze lulled her, her muscles already starting to relax.

Jade snapped out of it a bit, "How would I know you're not one of them?" She retorted. Though she really should have asked that earlier, Dirk seemed shocked by her response, for some reason.

He leaned against the railing of the bridge, "Well, how about we talk awhile then? Get to know each other first, then you can decide." He smiled, but it seemed sincere this time, nowhere near as Cheshire-like as before. She didn't see a reason to not get to know him.

She shrugged and hopped onto the wide platform, sitting on it with her feet dangling over just inches from the bridge. "So," she started and his head turned up toward her, "What do you like to do for fun?" She smiled at him cheerfully, wanting to know. Maybe she'd met a new friend.

Her soft face set his heart aflutter, which wasn't anywhere near normal for him. He hadn't felt anything like this in his long, long life- which confused him. "Well, I have a lot of hobbies. Robotics and freestyle rap are two of my favorites." He shrugged, but saw how quick her eyes lit up.

She was practically beaming. "Really?" her voice slightly rose at the end of the word, "I love robotics and science! I've made several neat robots myself." She smiled with pride, and Dirk was smiling up at her. She had never found someone who loved robots and science as much as she did before.

Dirk chucked softly, "Would love to see them sometime. What about you? Do you like other things, besides robotics?" he inquired, his head tilting slightly to the side.

Jade thought for a second, "Botany and biology are really cool, and I really love animals. My dog, Bec, is the sweetest little guy! I also like anime, it's really cool, and drawing is great." She concluded.

Dirk's eyes were a bit wide. "Bro, I like anime too. Which ones do you like?" Dirk hopped up on the wide side of the bridge to join her, both of their faces illuminated by the lamplight. His hand was just an inch from hers, almost touching. She was tempted to reach out, but didn't.

Instead, Jade thought about this question. "Well, Fullmetal Alchemist was good, and you can't not watch Ouran High School Host Club. Angel beats and Blue Exorcist were really good…" She lightly yawned. Her eyelids felt heavy, but she wanted to stay awake.

Dirk looked at her as she rubbed her eyes under her glasses, "You can lean on my shoulder if you want." He offered. Normally she wouldn't, but it sounded so nice. Her grandpa told her to be careful of strangers, but he also told her to not leave the house without a gun- that ended up causing a little bit of trouble in preschool. She leaned her head on his shoulder, her hair draping down against his chest and back as her eyes softly closed. Dirk took her hand, softly intertwining their fingers before she gave in to the lull of sleep.

Dirk smiled at her, but when she fell asleep against him, it turned into a frown. At first he was preying on her, but now that Jade had talked to him- that she _liked_ him, he felt bad. Still, how was he supposed to feed? Would his siblings make fun of him if he didn't? Probably- they'd say he'd gone soft or something. His chest felt tight, but he picked her up once he made up his mind and began walking.


	2. Chapter 2

Jade stirred, her eyes fluttering open. Was it still night? No, the room is just extremely dark, she noted. It was definitely morning. She felt the unfamiliar bed, still sleepy. It was really soft, yet firm enough to be comforting and supportive.

Wait, this wasn't her house. It wasn't even her cousin's house! Suddenly, she remembered what happened the previous night and began to panic. She shot up, but felt a sharp pain in her neck. She winced, and her fingers trailed up to the part to find two small dents in her skin. "That's weird…" She trailed off. She was still in her clothes- a long grey skirt with a fountain cut and green horizontal stripes, and her baseball-style shirt with black sleeves and an atom in the center. It was nice and soft, definitely comfortable enough to sleep in. She found her large, round glasses on the dresser beside the bed and put them on. She carefully slipped off of the bed, her feet touching the wood floor.

She examined her environment, trying to determine where she was. The wood floor was polished, but seemed a bit worn in places from use, and a bit old. All the windows had heavy curtains that blocked almost all sunlight from the room. Jade really wanted to scream, and was feeling very panicked. The whole setup practically screamed 'vampire'. _But vampires aren't real_. Jade kept trying to convince herself that there was some logical explanation to all of this. She tiptoed across the dim room, over to the door. She inspected the knob, and then slowly turned it. It creaked lightly, but the door opened. She peeked her head out into the hallway.

And a young woman was standing right outside that she didn't know.

The platinum-blonde groaned, her violet eyes staring at Jade. "DIRK!" she called out, "She's awake! And you have a LOT of explaining to do!" With that, she stormed off, her black dress trailing behind her. Jade could've sworn she saw the white flash of a fang. She immediately looked for a place to go, deciding on the opposite direction of the hall that the girl went. She ran as quietly as she could and dashed around a corner, immediately whacking into something.

A guy. He looked similar to Dirk and the girl she saw in the hallway. Though she was smacked to the floor just after impact, he was still standing with not a sign of recoil. He had platinum-blond hair like her, facial features kind of similar to Dirk's, and bright red eyes. _What's up with all of these weird eye colors?_ She thought. She tried to scramble around him, but in a fast movement she didn't even see, he had rushed up against her and pinned her to the wall. Her eyes widened in horror as he laughed, his fangs mere inches from her.

"Ha ha! Oh, who brought home a little snack? I wonder." He stared intensely into her eyes, her skin had turned almost as pale as the vampire's. She struggled, but he gripped her shoulders with an inhuman strength. He clicked his tongue in disapproval, just like Dirk did the night before. "You're not gonna be leaving this house anytime soon, so you might as well get comfortable." He sounded so nonchalant about it- is it a normal thing to be kidnapped by a vampire? "I say it's time we call a house meeting." He wrapped his arms tightly around Jade as she struggled, and he carried her to what looked like a living room, giving a bat-like screech once there. All of a sudden, several figures came from the many entryways to the room. First a girl with white hair and pink eyes, saying 'what now?' until she saw Jade and looked amused, taking a seat. Then the girl with violet-eyes she saw in the hallway, accompanied by a green-eyed girl in a fancy dress, her hair done up and extremely elegant. They pushed a grouchy guy with red eyes and coal-black hair into the room. Everyone took seats and Jade stopped struggling, giving in to the fact she was trapped, deciding to play it smart and wait for an opening. The guy holding her winked to the grumpy guy- the only other red-eyed person in the room. He was also one of the few who wasn't eerily pale, and she guessed he was a human like her. She was very confused at the moment, though. They were talking in hushed tones, so she couldn't hear what they were saying. She gasped in horror as a new person entered the room.

Her cousin, John. He had went missing a couple weeks ago, and no one had been able to find him. John locked eyes with her, his deep blue ones shimmering with tears as he mouthed 'not you too'.

They all looked back and forth between the cousins. "John, do you know this chick?" The guy holding her asked, with an eyebrow quirked.

John cleared his throat and fought to sound composed, "Well, yeah. She's my cousin." He managed to say.

The pink-eyed girl gasped, clasping her hands to her cheeks. "Oh ma gaaawsh, Jhonny boi! Your cousin?" She turned to the dude holding her. "Davey let her go and hug him, gawd!" She crossed her arms, pouting at him.

Dave, the guy holding Jade, sighed. "Roxy, we don't know if she'll run or not. Or maybe she'll even put up a fight!" He contended, his eyebrows furrowed.

Jade looked at the girl with pink irises after finding out her name was Roxy as she spoke. "She looks smart- she wouldn't go up against five vampires, first of all. Plus, she probs wouldn't wanna risk her cuz getting hurt!" Roxy argued while waving her hands about in many a gesture. At this, Dave sighed and let Jade go. She rushed over to John and hugged him.

"John," Jade said, "What's going on?" she looked concerned.

John sighed, "Yeah, they are vampires. And we're not leaving for a very, very long time. Though, it's kind of a bit of a relief to me that you're here. I used to be the only mortal in this house besides Karkat." He gestured to the grumpy dude with red eyes. "And I really missed you, Jade. Though, it would be preferable if I had just gotten out- I wanna look at the good in the situation, though." John shrugged, looking worried.

Jade smiled at him- at least they were together again, even if they had to be stuck here, but she still felt grim. "I need you to tell me all about this place, so I know what I'm dealing with." She whispered into his ear.

John assumed a thinker's position, playing with an imaginary beard. "Well, five vampires is not something to laugh at, but they're all really different. Roxy is definitely the most chill out of all of them, I like her the most. She's super nice and friendly. Going by threat level, the next would probably be Kanaya." He tilted his head toward the green-eyed girl. "She's very sweet and understanding, but when she gets pissed, she get's _**pissed**_. Don't make her mad. Also, she's very protective, especially when it comes to Rose." John sat down on one of the many armchairs of the room, and gestured to the violet-eyed girl Rose had seen in the hall. "Which leads us up to the next vampire." Jade noticed, worriedly, that Dirk had not been mentioned yet. There were only two vampires that had not been accounted for- Dirk and Dave. "Rose is Kanaya's girlfriend, and enjoys teasing people and mind games. She has a big vocabulary, so try to use context clues to tell what the heck she is saying. But, she just mostly teases her siblings, so you should be ok. Oh- Rose, Roxy, Dave and Dirk are all siblings, by the way." John evaluated with a shrug.

Jade raised an eyebrow, "What about Kanaya?" It was curious how she was the only vampire in the house that wasn't related.

"She's a secondary vampire. Converted, I guess. Dunno how." John shrugged yet again. "She used to be human, but she and Rose are in such deep lesbians for each other they'd risk living eternity for each other or some romantic bullcrap."

Jade looked to the two, smiling. "That's actually really sweet. Really, people say death is scary, but not dying is even scarier." Jade shared her thoughts, "Watching the people you love die around you while you can't, now that is agony." She kind of felt bad for them all now, her heart feeling a pang of sympathy.

"Wow, Jade." John said, "I never really thought of that." He spaced out, thinking about the new idea. "Oh, back on track. Dave would be the next-biggest threat or whatever. Though he's nice to me, I'm not sure how he'd think of you. I've seen him angry…" John looked horrified, his face pale as he looked off into the distance at something that wasn't there. "He can be pretty brutal, but he's actually a cool dude if you get to know him!" He defended. He seemed to like Dave, so it was good enough for her. But what worried her is that the supposedly most dangerous was… "Dirk," John began again, "is the strongest. He can move so fast you don't even see him. He can pick up and throw a heavy couch like it was nothing, and beat tough guys to a pulp. He has a bit of emotional problems, too. You shou-"

He was cut off as Dirk entered the room. He looked a bit tired, probably because vampires are naturally nocturnal. Really, everyone in the room but her looked tired. Dirk sat down lazily and Jade hesitantly took a seat, but made sure to stay near John.

Dave smiled in a scary way, as if he was looking forward to punishing someone. "Now that everyone's here, we can begin." He folded his hands together and leaned forward, elbows resting on his knees. "The issue we shall be discussing should be clear."

Rose smirked lightly, "Chairman Dave, should we appoint positions for this meeting?" she teased playfully.

"Thanks for the suggestion, Secretary Rose." Dave rolled his eyes but was smiling. "Please proceed to take detailed notes on the procedures that nobody gives a shit about." He retorted.

"I will need you to fully state the objective of this meeting, Chairman. For record purposes." She pulled out a notebook and pen from seemingly nowhere. Jade would've giggled if she wasn't terrified out of her mind. Kanaya, however, was definitely giggling.

"HA-FUCKING-HA." The grumpy dude, Karkat, had finally spoken. "Because this is SO funny! I will slap my knee in giddy celebration of this hilarious event!" He did so, very slowly and full to the brim of sass. Jade was a bit confused.

Dave laughed, "Karkat, shut up. The reason we're here is because there is yet another mortal in our house." He gestured to Jade. "Who brought her? Roxy, was it you?" Dave stared accusingly, but Roxy raised her hands in defense, shaking her head.

"I did."

Everyone's heads turned to Dirk simultaneously, whom was calm and quiet. Despite all the stares, he was not phased, but stared directly into Jade's eyes. "Sorry about sort of kidnapping you, by the way." He shrugged, it seemed like no big deal to him.

Dave looked a bit uncomfortable, but shrugged it off. "Alright, you know you now need to explain the Terms, right?" He looked at Dirk quizzically.

Jade was extremely confused, but Dirk began to speak again. "Yeah, yeah." He waved Dave off, still staring at Jade. "The Terms under which a mortal lives with a vampire. If any other vampire harms a claimed mortal without permission from their master other than in self-defence, they face punishment in the Court of Masters. Any assistance of escape will also be punished. The mortal lives under the rules of the vampire that claimed them, and will be subject to punishment only by their patron vampire or- if any such crime is committed- the Court of Masters. However, any vampire may assist in punishment with permission from either." Dirk took a little break to breathe and let Jade process what he said. She wondered what the heck the Court of Masters was. She made a mental note to ask John later, but what she did understand extremely concerned her. Dirk continued, "From now on, you will be living in this household under my jurisdiction. Full cooperation will make it easier for all of us, especially yourself."

Jade shivered, his eyes bore into her soul, the color of bright amber. She was at this vampire's mercy- he could end her life if he wanted to…

But that wouldn't be much fun for him.


	3. Chapter 3

Ch. 3-

Dirk started up again after the pause, "Now that I've went through the Terms, should we go over the house rules?" He looked to the others, looking for their opinions. Though some held more authority than others in certain situations, it seemed overall a democratic process.

Rose spoke up, "I think that is fitting, I shall debrief her. If you all wish to get back to your normal proceedings, I believe it would be safe to call this meeting adjourned." With Rose's word, the others departed, and she walked over to Jade. "Follow me." She simply said, walking over to a door and waiting for her to follow. Jade got up, walking over to her, even though she was unsure of what she would be led to.

When Rose opened the doors, a magnificent dining room appeared before them. But Jade was confused. "Um," she started, "why would you guys need a dining room?" She hinted, but wasn't quite sure if the implications would get across.

It did.

She giggled lightly, "Common mistake. We can eat, it just doesn't have any effect to us. We can still enjoy flavor, though." Her violet eyes twinkled in amusement, "Also, I love garlic!" Her giggling turned into full-blown laughter- Jade could tell she really enjoyed the irony in it. Rose calmed herself before continuing, "We can also go out in the sun, but only when wearing sunglasses and a LOT of hypo-allergenic sunscreen. If you need me to dispel any more myths or have a question, feel free to ask me." Rose walked through two steel doors, and Jade was shocked at what she saw. Rose turned to her, smiling, "just because we're old and live forever doesn't mean we can't keep up with technology."

Where Jade had expected at least an old stove or something, there was modern-ware and some original gadgetry. ' _Right- Dirk said he enjoyed robotics.'_ Jade remembered, ' _Did he make these himself?'_

"Also," Rose added, "Kanaya is quite the excellent cook." She smiled proudly, turned, and went out of the room. Jade followed her closely, "While I'm giving you this grand tour, I should tell you where everything is." Rose said as Jade followed behind her to the library. "The parlor is at the front of the house- where we had our household meeting. The pool is in the southeast corner, to the right of the parlor, along with changing rooms. We also have a den, a room with all our old clothing, a room with historical artifacts of vague importance, two bathrooms, a game room, a mechanical workshop, and Roxy's computer lab are on the main floor. We have a greenhouse in the backyard, and upstairs has all of the bedrooms." She started up the stairs, and Jade followed. When they reached the top, Rose said there were four bedrooms. _Only four?_ Jade thought, _but there's five vampires and three huma-_ Jade stopped and realized. Kanaya and Rose obviously shared a bed. Dave had winked at Karkat and he's most likely his patron vampire, so they probably shared a room. That probably meant that John shared a room with Roxy-

And she would share a room with Dirk.

Rose confirmed her suspicions just seconds later. "You will be staying in this room, with Dirk." Rose yawned, which reminded Jade that vampires are nocturnal. "You'll have to get acclimated to sleeping during the day, but it's alright for you to stay up at this time." She rubbed her drowsy eyes, "Don't try to escape, there are traps and alarms of various design that prevent humans from getting in or out. Good day." And with that, she slunk into what Jade presumed to be Kanaya and her room. Jade stood there for a couple minutes, wondering about the road ahead. What would she be forced to do? Sure, they had been relatively hospitable so far, but what would be done to her if she didn't comply? She shivered at the thought.

Eventually, she decided to go check out the greenhouse. If these seven people are going to be the only ones she would be able to talk with for a long time, she hoped to get along with them all- even if she was being held prisoner. She felt like she would really get along with Kanaya, especially if she liked gardening. She went down the spiral staircase that went into the library, and was surprised to find Dirk there.

He raised an eyebrow, "And where do you think you're going?" He slipped a bookmark into the book he was reading, setting it down on the table next to the plush velvet chair he was sitting on. He stood up and approached her calmly.

"I-I just thought I would check out the greenhouse." Jade explained, gesturing to the door with a thumb, but Dirk shook his head a little bit.

"You can do that later. For now, you're coming with me." He started up the stairs toward her, grabbing her wrist in a fluid motion and continuing up the stairs, dragging her along with him. She kept up with him, following him up the stairs quickly. She was really nervous and more than a bit scared, but she didn't ask any questions.

They reached the top of the stairs, and he brought her into his bedroom. She could feel herself involuntarily tense from fear, but willed herself forward. Dirk suddenly stopped, swinging Jade into a dip where he held her off the floor. He gazed deep into her green eyes that were filled with surprise, and she looked at his. She didn't know what was going on, but it seemed like there was much more to him that nobody had really seen before. People have said that eyes are the windows to the soul, and she definitely believed that, especially when she looked into his. After a little while, he pulled her back to her feet and began leading her into a waltz. She was surprised and inwardly thankful that she knew how to, following him in the dance. There weren't any words as he pulled her close, to the point where their bodies were pressed against each other. Jade felt butterflies rise in her chest, their lips were just a breath apart.

She barely knew him, and it hadn't even been a day since they met, but it seemed like so much longer that she'd somehow known him- yet she didn't.


	4. Chapter 4

Ch. 4

She woke up and it was night. She was in Dirk's bed, but he wasn't there. Her hand went up to where he bit her on the neck, and she only felt slight indentations on her skin. _That's weird,_ she thought, _does vampire saliva have healing properties?_ She shrugged her questions off, and felt her stomach growl as she got out of bed. Deciding to go look for food, she got dressed and went out of the room. She looked around, but nobody was there. She decided to head to the dining room. Once she went downstairs and outside the doors of said room, she heard voices. She entered the room, seeing everyone sitting and chatting. John was smiling at Roxy while she laughed- he probably told her one of his Egbert jokes. He was the first to notice that Jade entered the room.

"Jade!" he called out, "Come and join us! The food's great!" He beamed a smile, and she smiled back. John was so silly sometimes. She came over and sat in an empty chair that was next to John and across from Dirk. She looked at the beautiful Belgian waffles in shock. You know how the food in commercials never looks how it actually is? Well Kanaya's waffles put every restaurant that serves breakfast to shame.

"Wow, this looks amazing!" Jade said.

Kanaya smiled brightly, proud of her work. "Go ahead and take a bite." She insisted, and Jade did. She grinned wide, and the table burst with laughter.

Roxy leaned over to Dirk, "Hey Dirk-a-Dirk, ya gotz any projex in da worx?" She stared at him, not able to wait to hear any cool ideas he came up with.

He shrugged, "I'm still working on that sparbot, can't quite get it to move right, much less block or land a hit." He furrowed his eyebrows, seeming frustrated.

Jade spoke up. "Have you tried magnetic ball-joints? It worked great on my dreambot. I would also recommend a uranium fuel source." She thought hard, resting her head in her hand. "Increasing processing speed might be the key to getting timing of hits and blocks right."

Everyone stared at her wide-eyed. Roxy's mouth hung open in awe before she shook herself out of it. "Wowza! You shur kno a lot!" She grinned widely, "What type of kewl gadgets have ya maed? Tell me about yoar dreamy-bot!"

She seemed so excited, so Jade indulged her. "Well, my dreambot recorded and acted out my dreams in real-time! My grandpa and I had to get really creative with it because, in one of my dreams, I played a complex bass guitar with eight arms. One of my favorite devices I've made, really." She smiled softly.

Once Jade explained enough to quell Roxy's ever-expanding curiosity, Rose spoke up. "So, Jade," Rose stared at her intensely, her gaze cold as ice, with a mischievous smirk that Jade definitely didn't like. "How'd you sleep" Rose tapped her finger on her cheek, feigning thought. "It's strange, I didn't think you would get accustomed to our schedule so quickly, especially when you slept the night away as well." She gazed knowingly into Jade's eyes, searching for her response. Jade knew what she was trying to do.

 _Mind games._ Jade inwardly cursed, hoping her face remained expressionless as she spoke. "I sleep a lot, narcolepsy makes that kinda happen sometimes." She shrugged, attempting to look nonchalant.

Dirk looked at her, wide eyed and impressed at how well she lied, but regained his composure after a second or two. Rose, however, sees all. She smiled, gaining a bit of respect for Jade and her prankster gambit. She decided to drop the topic, abstain until a more advantageous opportunity arises.

'Breakfast' went mostly uninterrupted. The vampires were obviously the more chatty ones, since they didn't need to eat normal food. Rose and Kanaya left first, most likely to go on a 'hunt'- as they called it. Dirk used to go with them a lot, but now that he had a little mortal friend in the house, he didn't need to as much. A little bit after they left, Roxy excused herself, taking John with her. Jade frowned, but he assured her that it would be alright and they would talk soon. It was awkward for a while, just sitting there and listening to Karkat argue with Dave. Dave was playing with him, like how a cat bats around a mouse. Dirk was quiet, staring off into space while Jade sat there uncomfortably. She didn't think she'd be allowed to just leave on her own, not really sure what consequences would come and not wanting to find out.

"I am NOT putting on a freaking tutu for you, Strilonde!" Karkat shouted, standing up abruptly, causing Jade to flinch.

Dave looked amused, "I could always force you to wear _only_ the tutu, you know." He smirked, a rather predatory look on his face. "I could also use fuzzy pink handcuffs to 'cuff you to the staircase."

A deep blush was on Karkat's scowling face, and Dave smiled sinisterly. Jade sank in her seat, feeling the awkwardness radiate from the situation, hoping she would be able to leave soon. _Fuzzy pink handcuffs? Really?_ She shivered, not wanting to imagine what they got up to in their spare time. Karkat grumbled under his breath and they departed, leaving Dirk and Jade alone in the room.

Jade coughed politely to get his attention, and his head snapped up from his trance. He came back from his thoughts to see that everyone else had left. He apologized softly to Jade and got up from his chair, she followed him out of the dining room, wondering what was plaguing his mind. She sped up her pace to catch up with him, falling in by his side. She looked up at him, eyebrows furrowed in concern. "Are you alright?" They stopped, Dirk still not looking at her.

Dirk sighed, looking off into the distance at something unseen. "Not really, but…" He looked down at her, touched by the concern for him that she had. "It's the closest to alright I've been in a long, long time." Jade could tell that something was plaguing his mind by the look in his amber eyes. He softly ran a hand through her jet-black hair, looking at her fondly but with worry. "It's nothing, just- go do something. I'll be in my workshop." He turned away and walked down the hallway. What Jade didn't see is that tears welled up in his eyes , and began to fall.

She stood there, looking where he had gone. She wished she could comfort him, but thought it would be best to give him some space. Yet, she didn't know what to do, now. The place was so big and, well, lonely. Even though eight people lived there, it just felt so empty. She wandered through the halls of the second floor, and stopped in front of a strange double-door. It seemed to draw her in, pulling her closer with an invisible force. She opened the door, peeking inside.

She was dazzled by what must have been a former ballroom or something of the like, but it wasn't empty. Instead, it was full of instruments of almost every kind. A grand piano rested in the corner by some draped windows. _John would love that_ , she thought. She saw it out of the corner of her eye, and turned to look at a beautiful bass guitar. She picked it up gently, strumming its strings softly. She smiled, beginning to play and sang along to the music.

" _Come along my friends, we've got a ways to go. Let the music sway you, your body to and fro. Come along my friends, it is time to play. Rejoice in the sun and laugh together all the day! There is much joy to be found in this lovely tune and we should find solace in the sound, bringing all our hearts 'round!"_ She finished the song, smiling softly to herself as the last note reverberated through the large space, drifting off until it faded to silence.

Then there was a slow clapping, and Jade whipped around.

Dave stood in the entryway to the room, breaking the silence as he clapped slowly and stared in her eyes. His red eyes looked fierce, like an animal cornering its prey as he approached her. She subconsciously took a step backwards and tensed up. He got closer, but Jade didn't back away more. Her feet felt frozen in place, maybe due to the fact that she was scared. He finally spoke, "Very nice." He said, "You have a beautiful voice. You're really passionate, I can hear it. That type of singing isn't too common now." He stopped in front of her, bending down a little and looking her in the eyes. It felt hot, intense, and it scared her. "Speaking of, I haven't heard that song before." He softly inquired, but it was more like an accusation.

Jade willed herself to speak, finding the courage after a few moments. "That's because I made it." She smiled lightly, looking shyly down at her shoes. "I'm not the best at composing, but I really like what I did with that one." She looked at the bass guitar she held in her hands limply.

Dave smirked, looking amused but still rather intimidating. "It's good- Dirk's brought a little talent home, huh? It's light and catchy, rather calming. A huge refresher compared to the sad things that pass for music nowadays. There's no emotion in it, no passion." He began to pace around her in close circles, making her severely uncomfortable. "You seem like a very passionate person. Expressive, if you will." Jade shivered, she could've sworn that he had caressed her neck and shoulders from behind her. _More mind-games?_ She wondered, gingerly stepping away from him.

She made sure to stay facing him, "I like to think that our emotions are a huge part of who we are as people." She was terrified, but her gaze stayed steady on him as she stated her belief.

He finally left her alone, strolling to a table to examine a bamboo flute. "That's very insightful." He commented, toying with the instrument. "Let me ask you something-" he turned and looked her directly in the eyes, "are you an open book?" He looked at her almost loathingly, as if he expected her to hurt someone or betray him, which really confused her.

Jade wandered through her thoughts as she considered the question- she didn't think she hid much of anything from anyone. If someone asks her, she's almost always willing to give her honest opinion on something. Of course she lied sometimes, but everyone likes to keep their secrets, and it's only on things that would harm people. "I think I am," she said, "I don't hide much at all, and everyone has at least a couple secrets. Plus, I don't think anyone is fond of embarrassing childhood stories." She was sure that she liked being honest, but knew it wasn't best to be honest all the time.

As she shrugged in response, Dave seemed to relax. His tension had eased- he must've sensed the sincerity in her words. "Ah, I see." He sighed, turning to leave but looked back at her. "But be careful, not all people are straightforward." His eyes gave hint to a deeper meaning, and he slid out the door.

She sighed, slumping down. "Jeez, what a weirdo."

"I second that statement."

Jade practically jumped out of her skin when she heard the voice behind her, coming from the far corner of the room. She was at least a foot in the air as she spun to face the voice's source, landing firmly and braced for whatever came. Rose walked out of the shadows, her black dress belted by a pink scarf, trailing behind her. _Jeez, I'm gonna be scared to death by tomorrow if this keeps up._ Jade thought, _Frickin' vampires, sneaking all over the place._ She frowned.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to startle you. I imagine that has been a reoccurring problem lately." She approached Jade, "I do agree with you, my brother can be quite strange- though probably not as strange as I can be." There was a playful twinkle in her eyes as she stopped in front of her, "I believe he is trying to intimidate you, in order to protect dirk." She had a thoughtful look now, mind seeming to be so many places at once.

Jade raised an eyebrow, "Why would Dirk need protecting?" she asked. "Isn't he kind of a tough guy or something?" All of this didn't add up to her- something was missing, something important.

Rose looked concerned, "I don't think it is my place to evaluate further on this topic." She concluded, "The answers will come to you in due time, I suspect. But please," Rose put her hands on Jade's shoulders, and her eyes were full of worry as she tried to get Jade to understand how important what she was going to say was. "Be kind to them." With those words, she lingered, then let go of Jade and left the room.


	5. Chapter 5

Ch. 5

It was later, so Jade thought she should go find dirk. She had found his mechanical workshop, but he wasn't there. She frowned, not having a clue where he would be, and thought of where to look next as she wandered the mansion. When she passed the doors to the pool, she caught a glimpse of movement through the window out of the corner of her eye, and doubled back to look through it.

Dirk was there, about to dive into the pool. His swimming trunks were the only thing he was wearing, and his muscles were flexing as he dove into the pool with a fluid motion, ripples forming where he entered the water. Jade opened the door and stepped inside, unsure if a blush was on her cheeks. She approached the pool, sitting close to the edge of it. Dirk resurfaced, and she decided she would have some fun- she would be the one surprising this time.

He wiped his dripping hair out of his face, breathing heavily while facing away from Jade. She smiled, "Nice technique." Her voice echoed across the large room, and Dirk whipped around to see her sitting at the edge with a playful smirk, surprised that she snuck up on him. She looked him up and down, feigning checking him out, "Very nice." She winked at him, giggling. She looked at him as he waded through the water to approach her, and her hair draped over her shoulders as she looked down at him.

Dirk quirked an eyebrow, playfully smirking too as he rested his arms on the ledge. "You like what you see?" He teased, a playful glint in his eyes. Water droplets clung to his skin, which also dripped off his wet hair that was forced down from its wild style.

"Maybe," Jade teased, laying down at the edge of the pool, their faces just inches apart. "What happens if I do~?" She smiled at him mischievously, "Hm?"

He chuckled, "Oh, I don't know," he humored her, pretending to think sarcastically. "Maybe something," he wiggled his eyebrows, "like this!" Unexpectedly to Jade, he jumped up and splashed her a bit, causing her to shriek in surprise. He laughed, swimming to the shallow end of the pool. "You know, I'd like to see you in a swimsuit~!" He teased her.

She stood up in a huff, drying her glasses on her shirt. "And where am I able to get one?" She inquired, raising an eyebrow. "And I need clothes other than the ones I'm wearing." She was glad the opportunity came up to talk about the issue- she couldn't exactly wear the same clothes every day. She walked close to the shallow side of the pool, and Dirk waded up to her.

He smiled at her, still in a playful mood. "Well, you're lucky. We happen to have one of the best seamstresses in history living in our very household!" He beamed with pride, and Jade tried to guess who she might be. Was it Rose, Roxy, or Kanaya? With the way Kanaya dressed, she assumed it was her.

Dirk rose from the pool, grabbing one of the many towels from a nearby rack and beginning to dry himself off. Once sufficiently dry, he turned to Jade. "We should probably go ask her now- that way, you'll get clothes sooner rather than later. She can take your measurements in her sewing room." He dried his hair and walked out, Jade following close behind.

They did happen to find her in said sewing room, designing dresses on a sketchpad. Dirk strode in and greeted her, and Jade said hi. When Dirk said that she'd be in need of some clothes, Kanaya's eyes lit up. "I'll be right on it! Just let me get your measurements, Jade." She immediately grabbed her measuring tape from a slightly cluttered counter and started jotting down measurements while her hands lingered a bit longer in certain places than Jade felt comfortable with. She looked to Dirk, a subtle hint in her voice. "Is there anything I will receive in exchange for my efforts?" She raised an eyebrow, and Jade did not like the look on her face. Dirk jotted down some stuff on a piece of paper, but Jade dismissed it as irrelevant.

Dirk nodded, "Yeah, of course" waving it off. "We can discuss that later."

When Kanaya had finished taking measurements of what Jade felt like was every inch of her body, Dirk gave her the paper. Kanaya smiled and nodded, and Dirk turned and left. Jade awkwardly followed after him, and regretted not looking at the paper. They walked down the hall, but suddenly, Jade slowed down and slumped against a wall, sliding to the floor. Dirk shrieked in panic, rushing to her and supporting her on his lap before her head hit the floor. He picked her up gently, rushing to his bedroom and laying her down on the bed. He felt her pulse, sighing in relief that it was normal, but still pretty panicked. He examined her, trying to guess what was wrong. His eyes were wide with panic as he shouted for help, his hands pulling at his hair in stress. Rose rushed into the room, Kanaya close behind, and Dirk frantically explaining what happened.

Rose's eyes grew wide, "Was she serious about having narcolepsy?" She approached the bed.

Dirk blinked, "Say what?" He was definitely not a doctor, that's for sure.

Rose smacked her forehead, irritated by her brother's stupidity. "Narcolepsy is a medical condition. It's when someone falls asleep chronically, completely out of their control, really." She shrugged, "She should be fine as long as she isn't hurt by the fall, from what I know." Rose concluded, and everyone in the room gave a sigh of relief, easing their tension. Dirk was still a bit shaken from the scare, but was extremely glad that Jade was alright. He rubbed his eyes, surprised to see that they were wet. Rose looked at him fondly, but with concern. "You really like her, don't you?" She half-asked, almost completely sure it was true.

He looked at Jade's peaceful, sleeping form. "Yeah," he whispered softly, almost to no one in particular. "I really do." A smile crept onto his face as he looked at her, content in her dreams. Something stirred within him when he looked at her; seeing her soft cheeks- which had some cute freckles adorning them and across the bridge of her nose- her dark eyebrows, her lips that he had kissed…

Rose laughed under her breath, "I'll leave you with her." And she went to the door, beckoning for Kanaya to follow. She smiled at Dirk and then they both slipped out of the room, leaving him alone with Jade. He sighed, sitting at the edge of his bed, his head in his hands.

 _Rose scowled, "Did you just pick her up because she looks like Jake?" Her violet eyes were piercing him to his soul at the accusation._

 _Dirk visibly angered, "No! Jesus, I'm not shallow. And don't talk about him." His anger turned into sadness and hurt showing in his eyes, "He's gone, and he's not coming back. I know that." Emotions and questions raced through his head like a million different people were trying to get his attention all at once. 'She'll leave you just like he did", 'Who was she before you brought her here?', 'She's just obeying you out of fear', 'Why do you like her?', 'Do you even know her?', 'Are you just using her?', 'Do you even like her for who she is?'_

' _Why would she ever want someone like you?'_

Dirk shot up, panting and feeling panicked. He was in his room, his eyes wide as he sat up on the bed next to Jade's sleeping form. "I must've dozed off…" he concluded, sighing. "Man, my head hurts like I was hit with a baseball bat." He rubbed his forehead, wincing, but then turned to look at Jade.

He saw a twitch of movement and smiled as Jade began to stir. He watched, waiting for her to wake up. Her arm twitched and fingers curled first, her eyelids also twitched before fluttering open slowly. He looked into her bright green eyes, "Morning, Sleeping Beauty. Your prince has kissed you awake." He winked, glad he could get a bit of humor in.

She giggled lightly and airily, still extremely drowsy and half asleep. "True love, huh?" Her words slurred together a little, and you could easily tell she wasn't completely there yet. "Nobody's really loved me romantically before." She said, not thinking in her dazed state. "I mean, family and friends love me, but that's platonic stuff. I've had platonic love, but I'm always seen as a 'precious innocent child'- even by people younger than me. People typically don't fall in love with a 'precious baby child'." She sighed, but it turned into a yawn and she rubbed her eyes. She was starting to finally gain consciousness, blinking a bit and looking at Dirk.

' _But do you even know how to love?'_


	6. Chapter 6

Ch6

Dirk sighed, looking at Jade with a softness she hadn't really seen before. "Really, I think you deserve the best in this world. I'm surprised no one ever loved such an amazing person." He put a hand softly on her cheek, looking into her eyes and saying with the utmost sincerity, "You are beautiful- don't let anyone tell you otherwise." Jade smiled, her eyes watering a little. Though he may not know much on love, he would try his best, for her.

Dirk was a bit startled when she suddenly hugged him, but he hugged her back softly. It felt nice to be hugged, and she was warm. But suddenly they heard a heavy, wooden bang, and they both jumped. He ran out of the room, and Jade followed in hopes of finding out what happened and that everyone was okay.

 _Curiosity killed the cat-_

They ran into the parlor together, and Jade was shocked that the doors were wide open. The strange new people had just kicked the doors open. She looked at Dirk, who looked terrified. She asked him what was wrong, and he said "Only vampires can open those doors without the traps activating." He didn't turn away from the strangers, gaze locked on them.

There were five vampires standing near the entrance, but one stepped forward. He had chestnut-colored hair that was styled up with a streak of violet that matched his eyes, though it was more of a reddish-violet compared to Rose's orchid-color. He wore a smug grin, looking around the household. "Wwell, wwell, well…" he began with a weird accent, "What a nice place. May wwe know wwhose home wwe'vve come into?" He grinned sinisterly, and Jade saw his fangs. "Wwanted to say hello to our neww neighbors of the night."

Dirk stepped in front of Jade protectively. She hadn't noticed the rest of the residents arrive, but everyone was there now. Rose and Kanaya glared, and Roxy kept John back. Dave stood with his chest puffed, Karkat behind him as he made himself look even more intimidating than he already was.

A girl with bright cobalt-blue eyes began counting them, her massive ravenette hair moving when she turned. "There are eight of you? Let me just tell you, eight is my faaaaaaaavorite number!" She grinned, her fangs glinting in the soft light of the chandelier. "We're new to town, you know? We wanted to introduce ourselves before we go prowling the streets and all. Though, there should be enough prey for everyone, and the more the merrier!" She said, but as they stared, she remembered that she forgot to introduce herself. "Oh, silly me- I'm Vriska. This is Eridan, Equius, Gamzee and Aradia."

Eridan looked like he thought he was too good for this place, Equius was quiet and sweaty- and frankly creepy, Gamzee was zoned the heck out and Aradia was smiling like a serial killer. Jade shivered a little- they freaked her out.

Dave sighed, introducing all of them. "Alright," he said, "we will share territory. After all, this is a big area." He shrugged, as if he had been expecting other vampires to come for a while now. This oddball group seemed strange to Jade, as if they were hiding something. She looked among them, trying to see what was out of place. That's when she spotted it.

She took a step forward, going in front of Dirk. "So, Vriska," Jade began speaking casually, "why are you and your friends here?" Jade tilted her head a bit in inquiry.

Vriska calmly replied, "To introduce ourselves, simply." And then she smiled.

Jade stared right into her eyes in challenge, "Then what is it you're hiding behind your back?"

Vriska's eyes widened in shock, then she hissed and launched forward at Dirk. Jade shouted, trying to jump in front of him and block her, but she was too fast.

Dirk was faster.

Suddenly, the whole room was in chaos. The vampires were blurs that Jade's eyes couldn't keep up with, and she heard shrieks and hisses. The only people she could see clearly were the other humans. John was trying to hide behind a couch, and Karkat had managed to squeeze under it.

Dirk hissed, avoiding the wooden stake that Vriska kept trying to bury in his chest while fighting her. He managed to tackle her down against the rug, pinning her down and holding the stake over her heart. He growled, "Give me one good reason not to bury this in your chest." His eyes burned with fiery rage- she had burst into his home and tried to kill him and his family, and he-

"I havve a good one." Everyone stopped, turning to Eridan. He had Jade trapped in his arms, her head yanked back as she was squirming and terrified. "I could tear out her jugular in a fraction of a second. If you harm VVris, she dies." Jade trembled- his mouth was way too close to her neck. She squirmed, but she couldn't get away- her feet weren't even fully on the ground. Her toes touched the floor, but Eridan held her up, off-balance. He grinned sinisterly, and she could feel his breath tingle her neck. The hairs at the back of her neck stood on end- she didn't want to die like this.

Dirk's eyes were wide in terror as he looked at them. He knew he could defend himself, so being attacked was no sweat, but not being able to rescue Jade made him feel more helpless than he had in a long, long time. She was in the clutches and at the mercy of this strange vampire, and that terrified him.

Rose was glaring at Eridan with bridled rage, "You realize that all of you will have to face The Court of Masters, correct?" She was tense, her fists clenched. She wanted nothing but to leap out and tear them apart, but having Jade hostage prevented her from doing so.

Vriska shrugged from under Dirk. "Well, the plan was to kill you guys and blame it on the vampire hunters that chased us out of our home, but things haven't quite gone according to plan." Her eyes darkened, remembering awful things. "We've extremely underestimated you _and_ them. Really, we barely escaped. We looked at a map of vampire territories, and just saw this large chunk of densely-populated land with only one small group of vampires. We just thought it would be the best option for us." She trailed off, looking down at the floor.

Dirk raised an eyebrow, thinking that she was lying, but the hurt in her eyes… can you really fake that? He was pondering it all, and Roxy was moved. She stepped forward, looking around to everyone, "I think it would be best for all of us to talk it out. I would think it'd be fine, but it's a group decision." She tried to ease everyone, but Dirk was still very upset.

"Roxy, this isn't another stray cat. If we take them under our wings, others will come and try to take advantage of any generosity we give them." He looked accusingly at Eridan, and his concerns were valid, albeit a little cold. He did, however, get off of Vriska. "I do think we shouldn't be killing each other, though." He looked at Vriska warily as she got up. "Are you guys primary or secondary?"

"Can I be let go now?" Jade asked in a nervous squeak, still feeling so scared she couldn't really breathe well. Eridan looked a bit embarrassed, letting go of her and she rubbed her neck, which got a bit sore from being yanked back. Jade took a second glance out the door, _So close, yet so far away…_ She yearned to hug her grandpa and Bec, and to be back in her room, and to be free. She turned away quickly, hoping no one noticed. She didn't want to be accused of making escape plans or anything, especially because she didn't know what their 'punishment' involved. However, Dirk had definitely noticed. Seeing Jade stare outside so longingly made him feel a heavy pang of guilt in his heart, and he realized he had probably taken her from everything she's ever loved. He was snapped out of his train of thought when he heard everyone called to order.

Jade spoke up hesitantly, "Um, sorry if I'm just not in-the-loop, but… why are we talking to people who have just tried to kill us if, you know, THEY JUST TRIED TO KILL US?!" She ended with a shout, obviously very concerned.

Dave sighed, "There aren't that many of us in the first place. Vampire reproduction isn't that easy, you know." He pinched the bridge of his nose, "Okay- let's make this simpler for you. Let's say every vampire has something called vampire points." He began waving his hands in visual representation like Roxy, "Primary Vampires are as pure a vampire as you can get. They have six vampire points, and they give half of them to their offspring. Secondary vampires give all of their points to their offspring, and you need six points to be a Primary Vampire. But, if a mortal links with a secondary, the chain is broken. The only ways to get a PV are: A) a primary mates with a primary B) a secondary with two points mates with a secondary with four points C) a converted with one point mates with a secondary that has five points D) two secondaries with three points each mate or E) someone drinks from the secret, legendary flower of darkness. Nah, that last one was total bull." He laughed. Everyone else in the room had dissolved into separate conversations- they probably didn't want to listen to Dave's long lecture on vampire reproduction. He started up again, "But, both converting a mortal and having a vampire be born is a difficult and dangerous process, so we can't exactly get more vampires as easily as humans can reproduce." He shrugged, "Oh, also, the age of maturity for a vampire is forty years- no one really wants to take care of a child for that long." Jade blinked, and really wondered how old they all were. "But once you reach forty, your body stops aging. You stay hot forever, so that's kind of a perk. But I don't know how our parents put up with us, like jeez." He grimaced, thinking about how his parents described him when he was little.

Jade raised an eyebrow, "Where are they now?" she asked out of curiosity, and Dave's face turned sullen.

He sighed, looking away. "Rose and I are twins, and not long after we moved out on our own, vampire hunters attacked and killed them." He sounded upset now, and Jade felt bad for asking, deciding not to ask any more about that. He continued, "But anyways, vampires don't get preggers like humans do. Our reproductive cells only activate on the new moon with a whole bunch of other things having to take place. Alright- you see, there's this tree. It grows deep underground in caves, where no sunlight can reach it- conditions need to be perfect for it to grow. It blooms all-year-round, and both people need to eat a blossom before doing the do. But the tree is so rare, there are only six known. There's one in the heart of Romania- yep, vampires originate in Romania, it's true. The others are in England, Colorado, New York, Japan, and the last one is on the border between China and Russia. That's why you don't find many vampires in the southern hemisphere, in addition to all of the sun. It's called the Tree of Origin, even though we don't really know how vampires originated. So yeah, gotta do the frick frack after eating a magic flower on the new moon- but wait, there's more! Yep, this vampire shit gets crazier, Jade. Hold on to your frickin seat! Welcome to the crazy coaster- please keep your hands and arms inside the vehicle at all times." Jade rolled her eyes, she didn't know whether to take his words at face value or not, and apparently it showed. "No, Jade. Aside from the coaster stuff I'm totally serious right now. Creating new vampires is difficult and extremely dangerous, the chance of death is thirty-percent for each party. That's why we don't want to kill them, Jade- there aren't that many of us." He looked at her, as if there was so much he just couldn't explain. There was hurt in his eyes, and Jade felt her heart grow heavy.

Her eyes were wide- it sounded so terrifying to her. Just to bring one life into the world, two would have to risk death. She nodded, "Yeah, that's more understandable." Her voice shook a little, worried about hurting his feelings. Sure he is technically a blood-sucking creature of the night, but that doesn't mean he's a bad person.

They turned back to the group, where Roxy was repeatedly hitting a tiny gavel onto the wooden table. She called out, "Order in da court, peeps!" Everyone had quieted then, and she gladly took up her role. "Judge Roxayy turns the meetin 2 da fo-ray senatator, Vriksa." And she gestured to the blue-eyed girl.

Vriska spoke, "We wish to share territory, and we're open for negoti8tion." She looked a little nervous, but was feigning confidence.

Roxy rose both of her hands to the ceiling as if she was going to shout 'praise the lord hallelujah', but instead she said, "The party has made a proposal- not liek marriedge tho. We will now hear da argumentz of both sieds."

Rose leaned over to Kanaya, "Dilute the alchohol with water." She whispered softly. Kanaya nodded, taking a mental-note of the task.

Dave cleared his throat, "There are not many of us as-is, I think we should let them stay. We have to look out for our own." He concluded. Rose, Roxy and Kanaya all nodded in agreement.

Dirk looked very wary of the motion, "I'm still concerned as to their intentions. Also, having more vampires in the area will probably attract vampire hunters." Murmurs of concern rose at his valid point, but Jade's eyelids felt so heavy. She struggled to stay awake, but fell asleep in the chair.

When Jade woke up, her vision was blurry. She heard talking, but couldn't process what they were saying. She blinked and yawned, rubbing her eyes and slowly waking up. "Glad ta see you're not dead." A slightly familiar voice chimed. He vision finally focused, and Eridan was in front of her.

"Nope," Jade stretched her arms, "Wouldn't be that easy. My grandpa would-…" her heart immediately sank. Her grandpa didn't even know where she was, much less if she was alive. She wondered where he was, and if he was looking for her, but was interrupted by Eridan.

"Look, I'll give ya a summary of the meetin', but don't go expectin' any favors." She nodded in acknowledgement, "Long story short, we're stayin. But, we're gonna be comin' over here a lot, so I thought I might as well get friendly." He avoided eye contact- partly out of defiance, partly out of shyness- but he wouldn't admit the latter. He seemed a bit bashful-tsundere to her, really. Jade just smiled and thanked him, getting out of her seat and walking away, but turned back and gave him a sweet smile in the doorway before slipping out of sight. What she didn't see was that after she had left, Eridan smiled back softly. However, Dirk had seen the whole encounter from the chair he was in. Concerned, he went after Jade, running down the hallway.

"Jade!" She turned around to see Dirk's concerned face. He slowed down as he got closer to her, finally stopping in front of her. "Are you alright?" He asked, his amber eyes glinting with worry. Did the sorrow she felt show so easily?

She sighed, seeing no point in denying it. "Not really…" she trailed off, not thinking he wanted to hear it- but when he hugged her, she just couldn't stop the tears. She hugged him back, clinging to the comfort he gave her. She ached for home, but knew she could never go back. No words had to be said for Dirk to understand why Jade was so upset, thoughts raced in his mind until he finally decided on what he would do.

"Jade," he said," how would you like to accompany me on some little errands?" He smiled when Jade's eyes lit up with joy through her tears. She hugged him again, her head resting on his shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

Ch. 7-

Kanaya had called for Jade- apparently the first of her new outfits was finished and ready for trying on. (And maybe a couple small adjustments, but it happens.) Dirk followed Kanaya as they went into her sewing room and Jade gasped at the sight: there stood a mannequin adjusted to her proportions, with a beautiful but casual and cool dress that was olive green. Jade was so thrilled that she couldn't speak.

Kanaya smiled, and only then Jade realized that her childlike excitement showed straight through. "I take it my work is to your liking?" Her head tilted lightly to the side- she looked proud and content with her work.

Jade tried to tone her excitement down when she spoke, "It's great! I love it!" Jade's smile was bright and shining at her, "Thank you so much, Kanaya!"

Kanaya giggled softly, "Why don't you try it on?" She suggested as she took it off the mannequin. "I want to make sure it fits well- go in the dressing room." And she ushered Jade into the dressing room in the corner, giving her the dress and closing the curtain behind her.

The dress was button-up, in a faux-military style that kind of reminded her of uniforms in world war two, but with a very modern twist. It reached halfway down her thigh and fit like a glove to her body. Though she normally preferred loose clothes, she was glad to have some new ones. She stepped out of the small dressing room and back over to them, "How do I look?" She smiled at them, but when she looked in the mirror, she was shocked at what she saw. She looked… gorgeous. Sure, it wasn't completely in her comfort zone, but Jade had never imagined being the beautiful girl. She had been content being the geek, yet it felt like she was seeing a new angle on herself for the first time.

"Wow," Dirk said, looking at her. She could see herself blushing in the mirror, "You look amazing." They smiled at each other, and Kanaya giggled.

Kanaya fiddled with more plans and designs on her desk. "I should have the next one done soon. I'm very pleased that it is to your liking." She smiled, plotting more outfits in her head.

Jade hugged Kanaya with one arm, thanking her before they left. She had definitely looked eager to get back to her projects, so they left her alone. Dirk and Jade walked down the halls until Jade spoke up. "Hey, Dirk?" She looked at him, and he turned to her, waiting to see what she would say. "Not to be pushy but, I was just wondering when the whole errand-thing is going to be going on. Just an estimate- when it'll happen, I mean." She was clearly nervous asking about it, shifting her weight as she spoke.

Dirk, being a slightly perceptive person, saw this and took her hands softly. "It's okay," he said, smiling at her reassuringly and rubbing the back of her hands with his thumbs. "it'll happen soon, I promise. But when we do, I have to ask some things of you." He looked into her eyes, showing that he trusted her, but afraid she might be upset. "You can't contact anyone you know, and you'd have to wear a disguise." He said.

Dirk saw that in a split second, Jade lost the hopeful twinkle in her eyes. Despite living with seven other people, Jade felt isolated and alone. Trapped- stuck, if you will. Though she did like Dirk and all, he was technically a kidnapper, and he knew that. She knew that her grandpa would stop at nothing to find her, and that the police have probably been involved for a while. Her face and name might be plastered all over L.A. and parts of the internet, and Dirk didn't want to lose her or expose his secret. She started to try and think about whether she had Stockholm Syndrome or not, but shook away the thought- she hadn't been here long enough, or at least, she thought. A war raged on inside her head- ideas shouting, thoughts fighting for her mind. Then, she finally asked herself, _Are you afraid of him?_ And the answer shocked her- she didn't know. She was pretty sure he wouldn't hurt her, but what if their relationship turned sour? What if she was just his play-thing? She realized that she had been staring at the floor, and looked up to see his face. She saw such sincere worry in his eyes, she felt bad about doubting him. He looked like he would scramble to her aid in a heartbeat if he knew how to help her, or had a way to without potentially losing her and/or his whole family. It was more than her at stake here- no pun intended.

She looked at him and said, "Okay, I will." She gave a small smile, and he smiled back at her.

A silly little twinkle was in his eyes as he smirked, "Will tomorrow work?" he raised an eyebrow.

Jade pretended to stroke an invisible beard and to be lost in thought, "Well, I can try and work it into my schedule. I think I can fit it in." She laughed with him, the tension fading away. She realized that she felt comfortable around Dirk, and she really did like him. She knew that he really liked her. He could've been mean to her, but he wasn't. He could've just kidnapped her and not try to gain her trust, but he did. His heart was in the right place, even though his actions weren't okay. Jade realized that they would never have a healthy relationship as long as she was locked away from the world. She would have to get Dirk to trust her to not reveal his secret, and that's easier said than done. And how would she explain her disappearance? Oh boy, that was a tough one. She shook the thoughts from her head, deciding to think about it later. "But, what do you want to do right now?" She asked.

Dirk wondered about the question, pondering for a little while. It looked like he was about as idealess as her, but he knew the place way better, so she thought he should decide. He leaned against the wall as he pondered, almost looking like a normal dude in black jeans and a t-shirt. You know, beside the fangs and orange eyes. "You know," he said, "I think you might like the hall of historical relics." He shrugged nonchalantly.

Jade's face lit up with excitement, and a little smirk shone on his face. "Oh my gosh, what types of historical objects do you have in there?" Her eyes sparkled with curiosity, imagining all of the treasures a vampire could collect from history. She wondered if they were there, affecting the course of humanity.

He smiled, "Maybe more than you can imagine- probably. Let's go!" He took her hand and they both bound down the hall to the northwest corner of the house. When Dirk opened the door, Jade gasped. Objects lined the shelves, all hiding their own secret stories. She was especially careful not to touch anything, to keep them preserved. Dirk looked at a dusty, preserved uniform. "This was my uniform during the Revolutionary War." He looked a bit saddened at the sight- Jade couldn't imagine what he must've went through.

She softly patted his arm, but couldn't help looking at him with admiration. "That's incredible. Though, it must be really sad, too." Her hand trailed down his arms and she took his hand in hers, intertwining their fingers and giving him a reassuring squeeze. He stroked the back of her hand with his thumb. "What about some other stuff?" and that is when Dirk began the grand tour. He showed her things like George Washington's cravat, John Adams' pocket watch, Hitler's favorite pen (Which Dirk stole when he infiltrated the Nazi regime and Hitler's inner circle as a spy), Napoleon's hat (Roxy took that one), Queen Victoria's shawl (that one was Kanaya), Abraham Lincoln's top hat (Dave's amazing work), and ties from Albert Einstein and Nikola Tesla (he still didn't know how Roxy jacked those). Jade was fascinated with all the relics, imagining the people with them. She could practically see Hitler marking a map with battle plans with that pen, and she saw Dirk standing in the corner in a Nazi uniform. He had a German Cross on him, another artifact. And she could also picture Kanaya beside the regal Queen. Dave and Roxy, however, probably broke into places to steal those articles of clothing. She could imagine Roxy just swooping the hat off of Napoleon, playing keep-away with the short emperor.

Dirk told her about all of the historical icons he knew personally. To her, it was a dream of seeing legends. To him, it must have been a painful reminder of lost friends. "You know," Jade said when he paused, "You don't need to talk about it if you don't want to." Sympathy filled her voice as she took his hand again.

Dirk, however, smiled at her. "When you're potentially immortal, Jade, you have to learn to let things go." She leaned her head on his shoulder, giving him silent support. Even though it was long ago, it could still hurt. She knew that firsthand, even if it was nowhere near as long.

She looked at the floor, "My parents died when I was younger." She began, "Younger to be very traumatized, but old enough to remember everything and understand it." Dirk stroked her hair softly, trying to give her support. She could still imagine her parents' faces in her head, smiling at her. Her parents were almost always happy to see her and smiling. "My dad was a scientist- just like my grandpa and I. I would say it runs in the family, but great-grandpa Sassacre was a famous magician and prankster. Well, great-grandma Condy was, but I don't even know where she came from. I haven't seen her since I was very, very little- my grandpa told me. I lived with my grandpa, he's very protective of me. I wonder what he's doing now… he could barely handle losing my mom, dad and cousin." She seemed to be looking at something that Dirk couldn't see, and he desperately wished that he could help her.

They stood in silence for a long time, giving silent support. "Come on, let's go." Dirk finally said, and they left the room. Jade clung to his arm, content with wherever they were going, open to distractions from her past. She let him lead the way, and before she realized it, they were in the game room. Jade stared around in awe, and Dirk smiled softly. "I thought a little fun would be welcomed." Jade giggled, elbowing him in the side. "Hey! What was that for?" Dirk looked a bit hurt from that.

Jade just smiled, "For being such an affectionate dork!" She stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

Dirk smiled, watching her as she explored the vast collection of games and tech they had. However, he was soon hit hard with guilt. He had taken this ray of sunshine from the rest of the world, he felt selfish. Jade could do so much, and here he was, keeping her prisoner. Not only was he harming his precious Jade, but he was taking the wonderful gift she was away from the world.

His eyebrows furrowed, and Jade noticed that he had been quiet. Her voice was full of care and gentle concern, "Hey Dirk, are you okay?" She asked, setting down the game she had been looking at. But then, her stomach rumbled embarrassingly. Her face turned red.

Dirk laughed, "I'm fine, let's get you some food." He attempted to shrug his thoughts away, and gave her a soft smile.

They went to the kitchen, rummaging through what they had, and Jade had found some choice snacks. Jade fixed herself up a pb&j, and then pulled out a box of pocky from the shelf. "Hey Dirk, have you ever heard of the pocky game?" She said curiously. She had never done it herself, but she had seen a lot about it. A slight smirk was on her lips, and a mischievous twinkle was in her eye.

Dirk looked a bit confused, "No, what is it?" He inquired curiously. He didn't know what Jade was up to, but he loved that mischievous little twinkle in her eyes.

At that, Jade began to explain. "Well, you take a stick of pocky," She held one up, tapping the tip against her lips. "Both players put one end in their mouth and start eating. They meet in the middle and fight over the last piece~" She laughed when Dirk's cheeks turned red, and flicked the tip of her tongue over the pocky stick. "So. Wanna play?" She placed the tip between her lips, and then tilted the other end towards Dirk.

He managed to recover, smirking. "You know, I think I'm up for a couple games."


End file.
